The Not So Big House
By Sarah Suzanka, 1998 (images from 2nd ed 2008)
okay @francesderwent you wanted to hear why this was a favorite book of mine, and basically as a Christmas gift I got in senior year of HS it started a domino chain where whenever my classmates were bored witless over the next two semesters I was busy sketching their dream house specifications and turning this book into a bingo card. This is the constructive criticism antidote to what otherwise ends up on @mcmansionhell and it makes copious case study examples of A Pattern Language (C. Alexander et al, 1979). Yes, some of the content is dated, but many things hold up well.
Here's the art of using ceiling geometry to intentionally divide a space and/or create cozy parts
A celebration of built-in storage (picture the John Mullaney meme "it could be a nursery bookcase")
Broke: infinite space turns your house into what will someday be known as The Backrooms
Woke: embrace the finity of your space(s) by putting something of interest (art or viewing windows) visually framed by the doorway/hallway, it makes walking from space to space less depressing
the "away space" as an ultimate goal: let one room actually become the personal retreat everyone needs it to be. fair warning it does require self discipline and/or spoons
and lastly, the children yearn for the salt mines low ceilings and places to feel cozy
and so, as someone who has never yet taken an architecture class, it was absolutely mind blowing. I'd love to hear @mademoisellesarcasme's take on how much I've missed the mark as a result of starting here, and even if the answer is "you would flunk out of architecture school so fast" it will still hold a special place in my heart.
